Marvel’s all Asian Film: Shang-Chi
On Sept. 3, Marvel released their first movie with a fully Asian cast, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” (Shang-Chi). According to Cable News Network (CNN), “Shang-Chi” is an example of Disney and Marvel’s recent efforts toward increasing Asian representation in their general content. However, with an Asian American audience and cultural nuances to account for, films that draw from Asian influences, such as Shang-Chi, have various factors to consider if they are to represent Asian culture accurately and respectfully.
Marvel, to show their respect for their Asian American audience, kept “Shang-Chi” out of Chinese box offices, meaning that Marvel received less box office revenue for the film. According to Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC), the motivation for American filmmakers to include Asian representation is often to capture the profitable market of Chinese box offices. Furthermore, China is the second-highest grossing box office for Marvel movies. Marvel’s decision to release “Shang-Chi” solely in America demonstrates that the movie aspires only to represent Asian American viewers and has no other monetary benefit for the company (CNBC). Junior Kayla Mar is pleased that Marvel has included more Asian-influenced content and is hopeful that this is the beginning of increased Asian representation in media.
“In this movie, we finally got to see positive Asian American representation in Hollywood, which is especially exciting because it is from such a large studio,” Mar said. “With ‘Shang-Chi’, Marvel took advantage of an opportunity to showcase Asian culture and appeal to [Asian American and Pacific Islander] audiences. Especially by doing so in the current [political climate], Marvel did a great job.”
Despite directors’ intent to create a better balance of racial representation, some have pointed out how movies like “Shang-Chi” can be seen as further excluding Asian culture. Critics say that instead of producing a movie with an all-Asian cast, companies should naturally integrate them into their regular content; while making a movie with many Asian characters does provide visual representation, it also categorizes different races into separate movies, further alienating Asian culture (New York Times). Senior Deborah Mok agrees, seeing “Shang-Chi” as a missed opportunity that used stereotypes instead of authentic Asian culture.
“I liked ‘Shang-Chi’, however its portrayal of Chinese culture [was not] very accurate,” Mok said. “It conveyed a very American perception of China and represented more stereotypes than genuine culture, such as the numerous dragons in the movie. I would prefer Asian people, characters and culture to be normalized in general film [instead of receiving] movies like Shang-Chi, [which I think can be alienating].”
As Asian media gains popularity in the U.S. and the general demand for Asian American and Pacific Islander representation increases, releasing a movie with Asian influence fits with current popular culture. The recent increased influence of Asian media on the entertainment industry as a whole has made viewers feel this is an opportune time to release “Shang Chi”. A rise in Asian pop culture has swept America, with many people now becoming fans of Korean, Japanese and Chinese culture. Asian culture has become influential in fashion, makeup and music, and is continuing to grow. As “Shang-Chi” was released during this time, many feel that the timing adds to the impact of the movie (CNN). Expecting more to come, junior Yifan Gu is excited to see evidence of Asian culture becoming more respected by Marvel and in the film industry.
“I am glad to see that people got to represent their own culture in [‘Shang-Chi’],” Gu said. “In other movies with Asian culture, people sometimes fabricate Asian representation or even make up Asian accents. It is important to me that people get to speak for themselves and if Asian characters are wanted in a film, then Asian people get to play them.”
